What was going on?
And… why was it Liu Si?
In Liu Ming's understanding, Liu Si had long since perished. His soul had been ripped away by that sinister secret art, and in the end, Qin Shuang had refined him into her main soul inside the soul banner.
Yet now, Liu Si's consciousness had somehow returned?
Had he never truly died?
Could that be why the system never displayed a death notification for Liu Si?
Liu Ming's heart was filled with doubt and shock. Though he had once considered the possibility, the reality of Liu Si's sudden "resurrection" still left him secretly relieved.
He was glad that not long ago, he had chosen to cultivate a true technique and step onto the path of immortality. Otherwise, with five avatars under his control, the sheer mental burden alone would have been enough to crush his consciousness in an instant.
But now, he felt no discomfort at all. Clearly, he had yet to reach his limit.
As expected—no matter how powerful the avatars became, the strength of the original body was just as crucial!
Breathing out softly, Liu Ming sank his focus into Liu Si's awareness.
At once, he found himself inside a vast, ancient residence—simple yet imposing.
The sight was familiar.
It was the illusory mansion conjured within the soul banner, not a house of flesh and stone. Yet, within this phantom realm, there were objects that were very real.
For instance… a Spirit-Gathering Formation.
It seemed that every soul banner carried its own intricate array, one capable of drawing in the pure essence of heaven and earth.
Without a soul inhabiting the banner, the array would remain dormant. But with souls bound within…
Liu Si could clearly feel waves of pure spiritual qi endlessly flowing in from the outside world, all funneled into the banner for cultivation and refinement.
With his own "Immaculate Soul" and the newly bound spirits added to the banner, the array's power had surged, its efficiency several times greater than before.
Perhaps it was precisely this sudden change in the array that had awakened Liu Si's long-suppressed self-awareness.
A strange expression crossed his face.
The scene before him bore an uncanny resemblance to the cultivation methods of the ghost cultivators in Luofeng City.
Those ghostly practitioners abandoned their physical bodies, binding their souls within banners, relying on the banners' arrays to keep themselves perpetually in cultivation.
For them, the soul banner was not merely a weapon of offense, but also a precious tool for advancement.
Could it be that the secret technique Qin Shuang stumbled upon was, in fact, linked to the arts of Luofeng City?
Was it really only a method for refining "Immaculate Souls"?
Could its true purpose be to sever the shackles of the spirit, freeing cultivators from the control of the Xuanpin Scripture, rather than merely acting as a vile ritual of sacrifice?
At that moment, Liu Si recalled something.
Back in Su Meier's cave, Liu Meng had once heard her remark that the "Immaculate Soul" carried hidden dangers. She had helped Liu Meng suppress them, but had not extended the same aid to Qin Shuang.
Could it be that this so-called "hidden danger" was the very awakening of self-awareness within the refined souls?
If so, that would explain why Liu Si, bound as Qin Shuang's main soul, had regained his consciousness.
Just what other secrets lay hidden within this so-called Slaying the Three Corpses technique?
The more Liu Ming pondered, the less sense it made. But one thing was certain—Qin Shuang would never suspect that her main soul had suddenly awakened.
In that case, he would turn this twist to his advantage. Let Liu Si remain hidden by her side, quietly watching, waiting, and uncovering the truth behind her schemes.
A glimmer of resolve flashed in Liu Meng's eyes. Without hesitation, she lifted her transmission token, infused it with spiritual power, and initiated contact with Qin Shuang.
The jade disk pulsed with white light, and soon Qin Shuang's voice came through.
"Senior Sister, I've already sent the soul to you," Liu Meng spoke bluntly, straight to the point. "Now, you should finally tell me how you managed to break through to the mid-stage of Qi Refining."
"Hehe… of course." Qin Shuang let out a light laugh. "I can tell you right now."
"Do you remember when I said I was ambushed?" There was amusement in her voice. "In truth, while he schemed against me, I was also scheming against him."
"As long as he struck first, then even if I killed him on the spot, the Hall of Punishment wouldn't have interfered. But I didn't even need to kill him—I merely restrained him, leaving his life intact."
Liu Meng frowned, pressing further. "But how do you ensure that someone will attempt to ambush you? And how can you guarantee that you'll win?"
"Didn't I already use this method with you?" Qin Shuang chuckled again. "Only this time, the target wasn't one of us—it was my servant."
As Qin Shuang explained, Liu Meng began to grasp the plan.
Qin Shuang had her servant feign dissatisfaction, pretending to betray her, and secretly contact other cave lords with the intent of conspiring against her.
The servant would claim to possess a secret method to escape her master's control—but only after Qin Shuang's death. To earn trust, she would offer intelligence—half true, half false—as proof of her sincerity.
If anyone took the bait and attacked, they would walk straight into Qin Shuang's carefully laid trap, never to return.
If no one believed, it didn't matter. One servant after another could be sent with different pieces of intelligence. Cast a wide enough net, and someone would eventually bite.
"But what if one of your servants takes the act too far," Liu Meng pressed, "and actually leaks true information about your cave? What then?"
"Heh… that has already happened," Qin Shuang replied calmly, with a hint of pride. "That time our communication was interrupted, it was because one little rat truly betrayed me."
"But what of it? Did she really think the so-called 'truth' she knew was reliable? In the end, her betrayal only doomed herself and caused me some minor trouble. Every servant is given different pieces of information. The moment someone repeats it, I'll know exactly who the traitor is."
Liu Meng's brows furrowed further. "But… what if the servants share their information with each other?"
"Foolish," Qin Shuang sighed. "Simply bind their masks with a restriction. I cannot forbid them outright from betrayal, since I need the illusion of rebellion. But preventing them from discussing anything related to the plan with one another? That much is easy."
"Junior Sister, these masks may only work on your cauldrons, but used well, their value is far greater than you realize."
Hearing the full scope of Qin Shuang's schemes, Liu Meng couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
This woman truly had the courage and cunning to match her ambition.
With such a method, she had actually managed to control three cultivators of the same stage, leaping straight into the fourth level of Qi Refining.
Fortunately, Liu Meng herself had not fallen behind. By now, she had already subdued two third-level Qi Refining cultivators.
By tomorrow, she too would step into the mid-stage, just like Qin Shuang.
And her method was far safer, far more efficient, compared to Qin Shuang's gamble-ridden plots.
This system of the Myriad Forms truly was more powerful than she had ever imagined.
For instance… she was already preparing to let Liu Qi "cheat" once again!